Auditions for this year’s Shakespeare in the Woods production of KING LEAR will be on April 19th and 20th on the second floor of the Sierra Center Mall (452 Old Mammoth Road). We will start auditions on Sunday, April 19th AFTER the play I AND YOU finishes. Auditions on the 19th will be 6:30 to 8:30pm and on Monday,k April 20th from 5pm to 8pm. We will have scenes to choose from listed here by April 11th or you can prepare a brier Shakespeare monologue.

Parts available for 16 roles. Rehearsals begin in person on June 1st. If you are unable to make auditions please email sct@sierraclassictheatre.org and we can reschedule a zoom audition. No experience necessary.

KING LEAR

Synopsis:

Shakespeare’s King Lear is widely recognized by two versions: the 1608 Quarto and the 1623 First Folio. I have selected the First Folio version as my primary source due to the impact it has on two characters. By the end of the play, the character of Edgar becomes more developed and substantial within the First Folio, subsequently weakening the character of Albany due to the exchanges of lines. This change in character strength feeds into my vision for the play as you will discover below.

Characters:

Our version will be set in a present, alternative reality, era so the list of characters reflects this choice.

King Lear: A ruler of men, Lear is aged and losing power as he distributes his kingdom amongst his daughters. Accustomed to all players serving his needs, he is quick to temper when the wind refuses to blow in his favor - both literally and metaphorically. Lear’s descent into madness throughout the play ironically allows him to see his folly as a leader, transforming his superficial and hollow views of the world into a reflection on his errors and perceptions of both love and natural order, ultimately gaining a wisdom only too late obtained. Lear mimics strength and charisma but with an underlying threat of volatility and rash decision-making.

Goneril: The eldest daughter of King Lear, Goneril is ambitious and ruthless. She strikes at the weaknesses she discovers within her grasp, aggressively challenging all authority other than her own. Even Albany succumbs to her overbearing need for control with her new position overseeing the oil industry, turning over all assets to better suit her desire to fully dismantle her father and establish herself to have full control. She is a tornado - a constant wind destroying everything in its path.

Albany: (Gender flexible). Married to Goneril or simply Goneril’s COO after Goneril overtakes the CEO position. Owner of the world’s oil reserves, Albany resigns his control of fossil fuels over to Goneril after Lear’s official transfer of power. Though his intentions are good, he is gullible and ignorant of Goneril’s malice. His indecisiveness enables Goneril to easily alter the course of global energy for her own benefits. Only too late do his eyes open to the damage Goneril has unleashed on her family and the world.

Regan: The middle child of King Lear’s bloodline, Regan follows in her elder sister’s footsteps with an entitled aggression to maintain her power and influence. She is jealous and competitive, bringing this dynamic even into her relationship with Cornwall. Her manipulation and wrath are inescapable, like an ever present downpour of heavy rain constantly drenching any obstacles in her path and adding unnecessary gravity to any situation.

Cornwall: (Gender flexible) Once CEO of the meat industry under King Lear, Cornwall is now second in command to Regan. Unlike Albany, Cornwall is quick to side with Regan and Goneril’s grab for power. He is violent and cruel - reflected through the treatment of his livestock and continuous deforestation of the natural world to make room for exponential human-centered progress without a thought towards global sustainability. He will persecute anyone standing in his way, including the former King himself.

Cordelia: The youngest daughter of Lear’s bloodline, she is the light of the world - a symbol of the goodness that humanity is capable of. Cordelia loves truly and deeply without boast, even after her father revokes her share in property. She remains loyal to Lear despite her ill treatment, and even extends her love to her dear France and the surviving world around her. She is a constant force of good amongst the corruption of human hubris, reflected by the bright upturn in weather in her presence.

France: (Gender flexible.) He is what we all look for in a lifetime partnership: empathetic, insightful, supportive, and loving in its truest form. He loves Cordelia for who she is, not the amount of power she possesses. France shares the same values as Cordelia and aids her not only in saving her father from the destruction of her two sisters, but also in achieving sustainability for our planet and the incredible diversity of life it provides for - human and all other forms of nature.

Burgundy: (Gender flexible). A greedy suitor for Cordelia, Burgundy is not just a prolific tech giant, but the owner of the company leading the world in AI development. He desires status and power over authentic relationships and quickly dismisses Cordelia once Lear has refused her ownership of any of his assets. He is the epitome of society’s materialism.

Gloucester: A man of the law and judge in the highest of courts, Gloucester is a friend to King Lear. He believes humanity relies on a natural system of laws that carry themselves out. The world is only human. There is no room for wild. He has two offspring and thus in conforming to his perceived laws of human nature trusts Edgar over Edmund (his illegitimate child). Gloucester soon learns that the world is fraught with cruelty and injustice as it is revealed to him that his trust in the natural order has blinded him to the truths of our waking world.

Edgar: (Gender flexible). The older and legitimate son (or daughter) of Gloucester, Edgar has grown up seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. Deceived by his half-brother, Edgar flees his family in fear and allows the tumultuous storm of human greed to consume him. His perception of law and order destabilized, Edgar creates Poor Tom as his alias and through his madness attempts to restore the true natural order. His faculties may be questionable, but his determination to do good is not.

Edmund: (Gender flexible). Resenting his (or her) status as the younger bastard child of Gloucester, Edmund is a bitter child and formidable foe. Edmund seeks justice through a vengeful lens and nothing will stop him from achieving his goals. His desire for recognition and deprivation of a loving family growing up has warped his perception of human nature and natural law. His catastrophic misdeeds stem from his lack of exposure to human empathy and unconditional love.

Kent: (Gender flexible). Initially a judge in the same court as Gloucester, Kent is wise to the laws of human society and has an unwavering moral compass. Defending Cordelia’s honor, Kent is fired by King Lear despite only speaking his truths based on his professional position. Stubborn, he returns to King Lear disguised as an intern hoping to gain political leadership status. He remains blunt and outspoken in manner: a sturdy brace against the raging storm.

Fool: (Gender flexible). Perhaps the only one to whom Lear truly listens, the Fool has a unique position within the kingdom. The Fool serves as Lear’s connection to the people. Professionally recognized as a content creator, the Fool is privy to truths of both the average human society as well as the elite/wealthy society. She walks the line between both societal worlds and uses her influence to ease King Lear into the devastating reality of the society he has created through his choices as leader. The Fool is a constant advisor to Lear through her social media platforms and knowledge.

Oswald: An ambitious Vice President in Goneril’s oil company, Oswald (any gender) is a blind follower. His dependent nature enables him to easily play as Goneril’s pawn. He will do anything for the good of the company and shuts out a broader view of the real world.